


All I want for Christmas...

by heroofcanton



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 21:47:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21925912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heroofcanton/pseuds/heroofcanton
Summary: Cosette told her Dad that she's bringing a special someone home for the holidays. The only problem is, she doesn't actually have that special someone. Now she has to make Christmas work somehow, with a fake girlfriend and her two siblings, as she begins to realize just how wonderful Éponine is.
Relationships: Cosette Fauchelevent/Éponine Thénardier
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	All I want for Christmas...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [betweentheheavesofstorm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/betweentheheavesofstorm/gifts).



> Happy holidays, Mabel! 
> 
> This is my present for Les Miserables Secret Santa 2019, and I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> I have to apologize, because my time management skills leave a lot to be desired, and I haven't managed to finish it yet. I promise I will finish it sometime soon, and I will give it my best.

Cosette stared at her phone in silent horror. She had never lied to her Dad before.

_Ever._

She had always prided herself on being honest, most of all with the man who brought her up. The man who had taught her to be kind, truthful and hardworking. The man who had never lied to her, even if the truth was ugly and embarrassed him. She knew all about his years in prison, and the years after that, when he had to deceive and steal just to survive.

She knew all of that, and he knew her secrets and wishes and everything about her. They were family, and they didn’t lie to each other.

Until now, apparently.

Cosette bit at her nails anxiously, her mind frantically searching for solutions. She was a horrible person, there was no way around that, obviously.

She didn’t _mean_ to lie.

It was just that when her Dad asked if she was seeing anyone, he sounded so… sad for her. He sounded like he was already expecting her to say no, but hoping against hope that she would say yes.

So she did.

She lied.

“Actually, Papa, I _am_ seeing somebody,” she had said, like a deceitful idiot. “Yes, you could meet them at Christmas. It’d be lovely.”

Now, because of her stupidity, she will have to ruin her Dad’s holidays, as well. Turning up alone when she knew he’d be expecting somebody with her was going to be absolutely awful.

“Oh…” Cosette groaned and buried her face in her hands.

…

After a mild panic attack mixed with an existential crisis, Cosette called her best friend and made plans to meet up. She still felt hopeless and so, so guilty, but she knew Marius would make her feel better.

Getting to their favourite café was an ordeal. It was snowing outside, which would normally cheer her right up, but right then, the snow only made all the busses late and all the drivers out there were cranky. Not just the drivers, the pedestrians were all angry as well and Cosette could swear she saw someone falling off a bike.

On her way, she stepped into a puddle and almost started crying when she felt the water seeping into her socks. It was not a good day.

At long last, she reached the tiny café where Marius was already waiting for her. He lived much closer to it than Cosette, which gave him an advantage. She wouldn’t meet up anywhere else, though, for they had the best scones she’s ever tasted in her life.

Along with the scones, what Cosette loved most about the place was how cosy it was. There were armchairs and mismatched tables, as well as ornaments, fairy lights and mistletoe everywhere. It was busy, with every table being occupied, but Cosette found Marius in a second.

She had been right about him making her feel better; even just seeing his concerned face looking at her direction made her heart feel lighter. She was so grateful to have Marius in her life, and she said so as soon as she reached their table.

He smiled, but was also still frowning, which made Cosette want to giggle.

“I’m… flattered, ‘Sette,” Marius said, shaking his head, “but something’s wrong. What’s wrong?”

“I… I did something very stupid.”

Cosette bit her lip and prolonged having to explain the situation by getting out of her coat and scarf for a bit longer than was necessary. When there was nothing left to do but fidget with the hem of her sweater, she told him what she’d done.

Marius hummed and frowned some more.

Cosette sighed.

“The problem is, obviously, I have no one to take home for Christmas and Dad will be so disappointed… I don’t know what to do.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Marius said.

“Well…” Cosette slumped back in her chair, “do you have any suggestions?”

“Apart from asking someone to go with you and pretend to be your significant other… no, no I don’t.”

Cosette considered this. It wasn’t a _bad_ idea. Yes, it would mean that she would have to keep pretending and keep lying to her Dad, but… it could work.

“Did you have anyone in mind?” she asked, leaning forwards.

“What?” Marius asked. “No. Cosette, I was kidding.”

“Yeah, but-“

“No! You can’t do that.”

Cosette looked at Marius.

Who did she know that could help her with this? Marius was incredibly sweet and the best friend a girl could hope for, but when it came to the matters of love, he was not the best person to turn to.

They had dated when they had first met. Cosette had been new in town, she hadn’t had many friends back home and she hadn’t known anyone in Paris. So when she’d met Marius in one of her classes (he hadn’t actually been registered for that, he’d thought it was another class altogether) and they’d been assigned partners for a project together, they started talking. One thing had led to another and they both thought they had romantic feelings for each other.

Boy, had they been wrong. All it took had been one date and a few attempts at kissing and they realized what they had been feeling was, in truth, friendship. Undeniable kinship and they had felt love for one another, though it had been, and still was, platonic love.

In the years since, they’ve kept their friendship very much alive and Cosette felt so incredibly grateful for him.

“Cosette. Cosette, please listen to me,” Marius leaned forward with an earnest expression on his face. “This is not a good idea.”

“It could be,” she replied. “Look, Marius, my Dad has done so much for me. He brought me up after Mom died, he’s the one who took me out of that awful foster home and he’s the one who fought for me. He’s so worried about me and if I could just ease that worrying even a little bit… He just wants one Christmas when I bring somebody and he can fuss over them as much as he fusses over me. He wants me to be happy, and if I can make that Christmas wish come true, I will.”

“Even if it’s a lie?”

“Well…” Cosette sighed, feeling miserable again. “I’m pretty happy in my life, you know. It won’t _all_ be a lie.”

…

Éponine circled the wet edge of her glass, focusing on the sound it made. Anything was better than listening to Phillipe.

A note appeared by her glass.

She unfolded it and snorted loudly. As the eyes turned on her, she coughed to make it up and the faces turned back around. Phillipe’s gaze stayed on her for a few moments longer, his expression suspicious, before he went back to his speech.

Éponine glanced to her left and let the corner of her lips twitch. Grantaire grinned back.

There was a persistent tapping coming from Éponine’s right side and when she looked that way, she had to stop herself from laughing. Enjolras was sitting there with his arms folded tightly across his chest and there was fury mixed with determination written all over his face. Éponine tilted her head and yes, she saw his foot tapping the floor over and over and over again.

Next to Enjolras was Combeferre, who was calmly writing something in his notebook, by all accounts ignoring Phillipe altogether. Éponine thought he was the only one dealing with their wonderful landlord in the right away. Ignore him.

Nothing he had to say mattered, anyway.

She looked back to the note, where there Phillipe was, in all his glory, depicted as Voldemort. Éponine had to admit there was some resemblance. Tall and thin, along with his bald head, Phillipe was only missing a dark robe and a nose job, and he could play Voldemort. He had the personality down, that was for sure.

Reaching into her bag, Éponine fished out a pen and, after removing a bubble gum wrapper from it, she added to the note.

_How long before E loses his shit? I’d give him about 10mins_

Then, she scrunched the note back up, and hit Grantaire in the head with it. Score. Éponine added another point to her mental list of times she managed to hit someone in the head with something. It was a long list.

She got the note back a few seconds later.

**_Nah, his neck vein’s still fine. 15._ **

****

_You are on. Loser buys drinks?_

And the note travelled back to Grantaire and Éponine’s list got added another tally.

Grantaire nodded at her and ran a hand over his beard. He was playing with a pen, twirling it and spinning it around. He was the very image of casual and relaxed, the only thing that seemed intense about him were the often glances over to Enjolras.

The meeting continued with various votings about which half the people there didn’t care. Éponine sure didn’t give a fuck about what colour their stairway rails were going to be. God.

Five minutes went by and still Enjolras has not uttered a word, let alone shouted any. Éponine resorted to staring at him intensely, just in case that would hurry up the inevitable explosion.

It did not.

Phillipe went on to talk about extra charges on their rent for… something. Éponine realized she was paying even less attention than before only when she was singled out for being in the opposing party. She blinked and looked around.

Mrs. Latiére from upstairs was glaring at her, her wrinkled mouth tiny and unpleasant. Her husband was shaking his head.

Laura the cat lady shrugged and grimaced as she caught her eye. Combeferre was still writing in his notebook. Enjolras was staring directly down at his table, his neck vein pulsing –

“I, um,” she said, distracted. “Could I hear your arguments for this?”

Phillipe sighed.

“I’ve just given you my arguments, young lady.”

Oh, fuck off, Phillipe.

“You know what, you narcissistic asshole?” Enjolras finally lost it and Éponine turned to him, happy beyond belief. “Instead of just standing there, torturing all of us, why don’t _you_ do something about the heating?”

Éponine grinned triumphantly at Grantaire, who spread his arms as if to say, “you win”.

“Young man-“

“It’s been busted for a week and you know this! I know you know this, because I’ve personally told you this. Every. Single. Day.” Enjolras was standing up now and jabbed his finger down into the table for emphasis.

He wasn’t the only one shouting now, Mrs. Latiére joined in, though on whose side, it was impossible to tell. Phillipe was busy defending himself and Enjolras was yelling his accusations across the room.

She could swear she could hear Bahorel yelling out random words from the back of the room just to confuse people.

Éponine leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

Life was good sometimes.

…

Éponine rolled over in her bed, pressing her face deeper into the softness of her pillow. She was so cosy under the covers, all warm and lovely. She had a feeling that when she opened her eyes and got out of her bed, the day would get significantly worse.

For one, she could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on. Secondly, she’d be cold as she was every single day for the past week. There was something wrong with the heating and it got really hot in the middle of the day, but was almost freezing cold for the rest of it.

Hopefully, Enjolras got through to Phillipe yesterday and the man would do something about it. They’ve all complained throughout the week, but the landlord just told them he was very busy.

Fucker.

She dozed in and out of sleep for a while, existing in that perfect place where you’re neither awake nor asleep. It felt like being in limbo and it was amazing. Eventually, though, when she could no longer doze off anymore, Éponine rolled to the edge of her bed.

The first wave of nausea hit her as soon as she swung her legs on the floor. The headache that has been on the edge of something so far now came crashing in like Éponine owed it money.

In short, she hated life and everything associated with it.

She took a few seconds to firmly tell herself she will not throw up. She just will not do it. Nope.

Then, she untangled a blanket from her bed covers and wrapped herself with it. She dragged herself out to the living room, trying to avoid looking at anything bright. That didn’t work out so well, as Azelma was reading on the couch and liked a well-lit room.

Also it was morning, which meant sun.

“Mornin’,” her sister said, glancing up at her.

Éponine made a sound in response and waved vaguely. She wasn’t capable of having any sort of conversation yet.

In silence, Éponine made coffee so strong it would knock out an elephant and settled down at the counter. Coffee helped. The blanket also helped.

There was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that something important happened the night before. She couldn’t remember what, though. Something to do with… nah, she was blanking.

She remembered Grantaire buying shots, and then Bahorel mixing something together that he had a special name for and she remembered Combeferre dancing.

That was fun.

Even Enjolras danced last night.

Well, dancing was a bit of a stretch for the weird grinding thing he and Grantaire did in the corner of the club, but hey.

Someone sang karaoke.

Oooh. Marius.

Marius sang karaoke and it was one of the best things Éponine has ever witnessed. He got really into it and he was really out of tune, he didn’t know half of the words… Classic Marius.

Maybe something important happened with Marius?

Éponine sipped her coffee and tried desperately to remember, because now she had a feeling it was really, really important and that she should definitely know about it.

She didn’t remember talking to Marius about anything significant, though. They said hi, they hugged; they talked a bit about their plans for the holidays. Éponine didn’t have anything special planned, just hanging out with her family. Marius said he’ll be visiting his grandfather.

Nothing important about that.

Oh, and then Cosette joined them.

Éponine laughed a raspy laugh as the image of Bahorel and Musichetta trying to recreate the Dirty Dancing lift as Marius sang the song passionately, albeit wrongly.

That was just about the same time she was talking to Cosette about…

Éponine sat up straight, gripping her coffee cup tightly.

Cosette.

Cosette told her father that she had a partner. Cosette did not have a partner.

Éponine didn’t have anybody either. Éponine didn’t have any special plans for the holidays. Cosette thought it’d be great if Éponine could pretend to be her girlfriend. Éponine told her she’d do anything for her.

Éponine agreed it was a good idea.

“Oh my _god._ ”

…

“You okay?”

Éponine made a sound of despair deep from her soul.

It sounded something like: “Unnnnnngh”.

Azelma patted her on the back and left her staring blankly at a cupboard.

…

Gavroche has been watching his sister for a while now.

At first, she had not moved.

Then, she didn’t stop moving.

She cleaned the kitchen. She took everything out of the cupboards, cleaned them and then put everything back in. She polished their cutlery. She cleaned the fridge and then reorganized it.

From now on, she informed Azelma and Gavroche in a very shrill voice, all the shelves in the fridge had a category. The categories were then divided into subcategories. She did not explain the categories, nor the subcategories.

It also wasn’t self – evident, as there was a head of lettuce on the same shelf as fruit yoghurt. Greek yoghurt, however, shared its category with leftover lasagne. Gavroche did not dare ask about mayonnaise.

Éponine dusted the very tops of the cupboards. A feat which Azelma and Gavroche observed with varied degrees of disgust. Nobody in the history of their apartment, they were sure, had never done that.

Next was the bathroom.

Gavroche got a prime spot in the living room from which he could see into the bathroom, provided Éponine didn’t close the door. She’s been scrubbing at the same spot in the shower for at least six minutes now.

He was utterly fascinated.

…

Éponine put the last book back on its now dust – free shelf. She looked around, but didn’t find anything else to clean. Suddenly feeling very tired, she sat on her bed and massaged her temples.

Cosette was a dear friend. Cosette was lovely and kind and unbelievably pretty. She was like a princess from a fairy tale and Éponine half believed she got dressed by woodland creatures in the morning.

Of course, she knew that Cosette could also be very stubborn and god, she sucked at baking. One time, she made brownies for everybody and they were somehow too dry and too chewy at the same time.

Cosette could also be very persuasive. Not by forcing people to do things they didn’t want to do, but by just being herself. Nobody could deny that face anything.

That was one reason Éponine was concerned. She’d promised something and now she knew she would have to follow through, because she just could not disappoint Cosette. She couldn’t. And she wouldn’t.

Which meant that she had to pretend to be Cosette’s girlfriend.

Supposing, of course, that Cosette still wanted that.

Éponine sighed.

It was just the holidays, right? So she’ll go to Cosette’s house for Christmas, eat dinner with her Dad, exchange gifts and pretend to be in love with Cosette.

It shouldn’t be too difficult. Cosette was hot and there was no way around that. Obviously, Éponine has noticed that. So, she wouldn’t even have to pretend to be attracted to Cosette, because any rational human being would be.

She liked Cosette as a friend and as a human being, so spending some quality time with her would only benefit their friendship. She would finally get to meet Cosette’s Dad, whom she heard so much about. The man was a saint, apparently.

She could turn the charm on, so that wouldn’t be a problem.

Yeah.

It will be fine.

…

“ _Hey. Can we talk?”_

Éponine deleted the text.

“ _Whatsuuuup! – “_

Absolutely not.

Fuck, why was this so hard? All she was doing right now was texting Cosette, hoping they could get together to talk about this situation.

She’s been typing and re-typing the goddamn text for over fifteen minutes now, and it was driving her crazy. She was biting her nails again.

“ _Hi. I was-“_

Éponine jabbed her finger on her phone to delete it again.

“ _Hey, wanna get some coffee?”_

She hit send before she could change her mind again.

After staring at her phone for a few moments, tapping her foot impatiently, Éponine stood up from her bed. She had to do something, she couldn’t just wait around for –

Her phone vibrated.

Gulping, Éponine checked it.

“ _Hey! Yes please. Meet in half an hour at Musain?”_

Éponine replied to agree and then threw her phone on her bed. She wanted to throw herself on the bed, as well, but felt that would be a tad dramatic.

…

Cosette watched people as they passed her on the street, and imagined their lives to pass the time. The woman with three full bags of groceries was on her way to make dinner with her friends, Cosette decided. The man yelling into his phone was actually a lovely person who’d just had enough. Two teenage girls giggling were best friends and were going to see a movie together.

She sidestepped to avoid an older man pushing a pram and in her mind, he was the best grandpa ever. He took the little baby out for a walk every day and he helped the parents with their chores.

Cosette smiled and took a sip of her tea.

Éponine probably meant to have coffee at the café, but Cosette was way too anxious to just sit around. Besides, it was a beautiful day. So, she took one hot chocolate and one green tea to go and was now waiting for her friend outside the Musain.

She didn’t have to wait long; soon she saw the familiar figure coming down the street.

“Hey,” Cosette smiled when Éponine reached her. “Do you want to go for a walk instead?”

Éponine nodded.

“Here,” Cosette handed one of the cups to Éponine, “hot chocolate for you.”

“God. You have no idea how much I wanted that,” Éponine replied, smiling.

She should smile more, Cosette thought. It made her whole face light up and she became even more beautiful.

Anyway.

They set out towards a park. It was funny, Cosette didn’t feel so anxious anymore. If Éponine told her she couldn’t actually pretend to be her girlfriend, that would be okay. It would mean Cosette would disappoint her Dad and would have to come clean, but she could cope with that.

She’d been more worried that Éponine would think she was a horrible person and wouldn’t want to be her friend anymore. That seemed less likely now that Éponine was walking next to her.

They walked in silence as they reached the park. Cosette liked it, actually. It wasn’t oppressive silence and she didn’t feel any tension. She felt companionship.

There was a pond, now frozen and they walked around it. In any other season, there’d be ducks and swans, but they were now all somewhere else. She didn’t know where and she hasn’t ever really thought about it before.

Maybe there were people hired to take care of the animals during the winter and they’d set up a special place for them. Kept them in water, kept them warm and safe. That was a nice thought. Cosette liked that.

“So. About last night.”

Cosette looked at Éponine, who was staring determinedly at the frozen pond.

“I completely understand – “

“I’ll do it.”

They spoke at the same time, and they both looked at each other, surprised.

“You want to do it?” Cosette asked, shocked.

“I mean,” Éponine looked around desperately, shrugging. “It’s one day, right? I know how much you don’t want to let your Dad down, and pretending to be with you wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.”

Cosette was filled with such warmth and with so much love for her dear friend, she couldn’t stop herself. She stepped forwards and hugged Éponine with all her might, trying to pour everything she felt into the hug.

“Thank you so much,” she mumbled into Éponine’s scarf.

“Oh,” Éponine laughed, probably startled. “You’re welcome.”

Cosette pulled back.

“One thing, though? It wouldn’t really be only one day…”


End file.
